PM orders taking permanent steps to protect haors: Deputy Minister

Deputy Minister for Water Resources AKM Enamul Haque Shameem on Friday said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has instructed the authorities concerned to take permanent projects to protect haors.

"The contribution of haor people to the country's agriculture sector is immense. The Sheikh Hasina-government is working to bring smile on the faces of the haor people," he said while visiting the affected areas in Derai upazila where haor embankments were damaged recently due to flash flood.

Shameem said different projects are underway to prevent riverbanks from erosion across the country and new projects are being taken to this end.

Noting that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is doing everything possible for Sylhet division, he said the leave of the staff of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) has been cancelled, while steps are being taken to assist the affected people in haors through the disaster management and relief ministry.

Besides, the deputy minister said, the local AL leaders have already been asked to stand by the affected people.

Local lawmaker Dr Jaya Sengupta, BWDB Director General Fazlur Rashid, BWDB Chief Engineer SM Shahidul Islam, Deputy Commissioner of Sunamganj Md Jahangir Hossain, BWDB Executive Engineer (Sunamganj) Jahirul Islam and Sunamganj zila AL general secretary Barrister Enamul Kabir Emon, among others, accompanied the deputy minister during his visit.